Averaging device



J. J. PRESTON AVERAGING DEVICE Original Filed Dec. 2, 1941 Dec. 8, 1942.

INVENTOR. @fo/wv J. PRES TON HTTORNEK Patented Dec. s, 1942 AVERAGINGDEVICE John J. Preston, San Francisco, Calif.

- Original application December 2, 1941, Serial No.

Divided and this application March 20,194,2,seria1N0- 435,519,

' v2 Claims. (Crass-69) This invention relates toimprovements in averaging devices of thekind adapted for use by teachers in calculating the average marks of students. f. v

An object of my linvention is tol .provide a novel device for averaging numbers.y f

Another object of my invention is to provide an improveddevice of thekind characterized, embodyingnovel means for readily determining the nal vm'arkof astudent whenthe average monthly mark and the nal examination mark are combined ina certain proportion, as in the proportion of two-thirds and one-'third'.

A further object of my invention is to provide an improved averaging device which enables one to readily calculate the average of a plurality of numbers, letters or characters when one of the numbers, letters or characters is combined with anotherof the numbers, letters or characters in a certain predetermined proportion, as 'for instance when one of the numbers, letters or characters is takenk onceand another numbenletter or character is taken twice.

Other and further objects of my invention will be pointed out hereinafter, orwill be indicated in the appended claims, or will bev obvious to one skilled in theV art upon an understanding of the present disclosure. For the purpose ofA this application, I have elected to show herein certain forms anddetails of an averaging device representative of my inventionyit is to be understood, however, that the embodiment of my invention herein shown and describedis for the purpose of illustration only, and that therefore it is not to be regarded as exhaustive of the variations of the invention, nor is it to be given an interpretation such asfmight 'have theA effect of limiting the claims, short of the true and most comprehensive scope of the invention in the art.

In the f accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 isa perspective view of an averaging device embodying the preferred principles of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a detailed view of -a` fragmentary part of the "device, showing parts broken away and in section; I

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3-"3 of Fig. l.

Referring to the drawing, the illustrated embodiment of the invention shown therein comprises a transparent covering l open at its ends and provided with two suitably placed4 elongated openings 2. The outer transparent covering I is secured to the rear side of an elongated board 3 having two longitudinally disposed grooves 4 and narily come within these ranges.

5 within which slidable strips 6 and 1 are respectively mounted. Secured to and extending over the front side of the board 3 is an inner front panel, 8 having a series of suitably placed elongated slots 9 and a series of suitably placed apertures or windows i0.

Arranged vertically on the board 3 adjacent and to the left of the longitudinal groove 4 are a series of numbers from 50 to 99 which are visible through one ofthe slots 9 in the panel 8. Two of these numbers, say and 80, or any other number which is taken as a base number. is preferably distinguished from the others by suitable means such as by bold face printing. vertically arranged on the slidable strip 6 adjacentthevertical row of stationary numbers from 50Kto y99 are a series of openings H which are positionedl opposite the said numbers, and are separated one from another by interveningspaces equivalent to the spaces between the said numbers.v The board 3 is provided with holes i2 at points opposite the base numbers 60 and 80, the said holes being located beneath the openings i l. Thepointed end of a pencil inserted in the openings, il may be used to move the strip 6 up and down to bring successive openings ti into registry with a hole l2 when it is desired to obtain the average of a series of numbers. Arranged on the, slidable strip 6 vare kfour vertical rows of numbers, a, b, c and d, the lefthand row, a, being numbers from to 95, each of which occurs four times, the next row to the right, b, being numbers iroxn,50 to 80, each of which occurs four times the next row to the right, c, Ibeing numbers from 65 to 95, each of which occurs iive times, and the next` row to the right, d, being numbers from 50 to y80, each of which occurs five times. The iirst -row of-numbers. a, to the left are used with the base number on the board 8 to average four numbers from 65 to 95, while the third row of numbers, c,` from the left are also used with the said base-number 80 to average five of the said numbers from 65 to 95. The second and fourthy rows of numbers, b and d, are used with the base number 60 to average four and ve numbers between 50 and 80. The various numbers from 65 to 95, kand those from 5) to 80, are used in illustrating my invention because under the methods nowv used by teachers in averaging the marks of students, themonthly marks ordi- I a device embodying my ,invention is used for other purposes, other vgroups of numbers maybe placed on the board 3 and on the slidable strip `(i. i One of the awindows ,l 0 in the panel, 8 is positioned opposite the base number 80 and in registry with the lefthand row of numbers on the strip 6; and beneath this window is the numeral 4 which indicates that the particular number appearing therethrough is the number resulting from averaging four of the numbers from 65 to 95. Another of the windows I9 is positioned over the third from the left row of numbers and about opposite the stationary number 85; and beneath this window is the numeral 5 which indicates that the particular number appearing therethrough is the number resulting from averaging iive numbers from 65 to 95. The two windows I0 located opposite the base number 60 (which windows are located over the second and fourth row of numbers b and d on the strip 4) are used with the said base number 60 to indicate the average of four and iive numbers in the range from 50 to 80.

At the lower end of the device is an aperture or window Ii), and through the same vappears the words Is set when the slidable strip 6 is suitably positioned to commence the operation of the device. It so happens when the words Is set appear through the lower window I0, that the numerals 60 of the second and fourth rows of numbers, b and d, and the numerals 80 of the rst and third rows, a and c, appear through their associated windows I0. It is, of course, to be understood that by arranging certain numerals within a certain range into groups of 6, 7, 8, etc., each, a correspondingly greater number of numerals within said range may be averaged.

In operation, say a teacher desires to average a students ve monthly marks to nd his semester average, and that the said monthly marks are 83, 90, 76, 84 and 91: The device is first adjusted so the words Is set appearing on the strip 6 are visible through the lower window IIJ. A pencil point is placed through the particular opening I I located opposite the stationary number 83, and the strip 6 is moved upwardly until the pencil point lodges in the hole I2 located opposite the stationary base number 80. The pencil point is withdrawn and placed in the particular hole II which is then located opposite the stationary number 90, and the strip 4 is then moved upwardly until the pencil point becomes lodged in the hole I2 opposite the stationary number 80. After each of the other numbers 76, 84 and 91, are similarly dialed, the particular number appearing through the window I0 which registers with the third column of numbers and is about opposite the stationary number 85, will be 85. This number is the average of the said five numbers, 83, 9i), 76, 84 and 91.

Arranged on the board 3 at the immediate right and to the immediate left of the longitudinal groove 5, are two vertical columns or rows e and f of stationary numbers from 0 to 49 and from 50 to 99, respectively. The 'succeeding numbers of each column are uniformly separated one from another, and each is visible through certain slots 9 in the panel 8. Arranged on the slidable strip 1 opposite the said stationary columns of numbers e and f are two vertical rows or columns of numbers e and f', the row e comprising numbers from 33 to 82 arranged in groups of three each, and the column f comprising numbers from 50 to 99 also varranged in groups of three each. The succeeding numbers of each column e and f are separated by a uniform distance equivalent to the space separating the stationary numbers of the columns e and -f.

.Arranged` in vertical order on the slidable istrip 1 between the columns e and f are openings I3,

which are positioned opposite a vertical column of numerals from to 99. The successive numerals 50 to 99, as well as the openings I3 opposite the same, are separated one from the other by spaces twice as great as the spaces separating the successive numbers in the columns e' and f. The top number in the center colunm on the slidable strip 1 is 50, and it is positioned opposite the middle of column f and also opposite the lower 43 of column e. The next lower number is 51, and it is positioned opposite the upper 61 of column f and also opposite the middle 44 of column e', and similarly the various successive numerals in the center column of the slidable strip 1 are positioned opposite the numbers of the two adjacent columns e and f.

The pointed end of a pencil inserted in the openings I3 may be used to move the strip 1 up and down to bring any one of the successive openings I3 into registry with a hole I4 provided in the board at a point opposite the base number of the stationary column f. In averaging certain numbers from 50 to 99, where one of them is to be counted twice and another number within the same range is to be counted but once, the pointed end of a pencil is inserted into the particular opening I3 opposite the number which is to be counted twice, and then the strip 1 is slid to a position whereby the pencil point lodges in the hole I4 of the board 3 opposite the base number 8O of column f. After the proper dialing as aforesaid, the particular number of either of the columns e and f which is then in line with and opposite the other selected number to be taken but once in the averaging operation, will constitute the average of the numbers. For example, the number is to be combined with the number 94 in the proportion of two-thirds and one-third, the pencil point is inserted in the particular opening I3 of the strip 1 opposite 85, and then slid upwardly to a point opposite the base number 80 of the column f, Where it lodges in the hole I4. By looking at the stationary number 94 of column f, it will be observed that the numeral 88 on the slidable strip 1 appears opposite the said number 94. This number is the average of 85 taken twice and 94 taken once. Since the common practice frequently followed by teachers in calculating the semester mark of a student is to give the monthly average two-thirds of the semesters final mark, and the semesters examination one-third, the present invention provides a device for readily determining a students nal mark for a semester.

It is apparent that the present invention may be embodied in various forms where other combinations of numbers, characters or letters, and other mechanical means for moving them to different positions with respect to each other, are used. It is also apparent that the principles 0f my invention may be provided in devices used for various purposes where averages are to be calculated. It is to be understood that the principles of my invention as disclosed herein may be used in averaging characters or letters instead of numbers, so for this and other apparent reasons the word numbers is to be considered as being a generic term including within its scope any letters, characters or symbols which are ca pable of being averaged.

This application is a division of my co-pending application Serial No. 421,308, led December 2, 1941, entitled Averaging device, new Patent No. 2,277,993, issued March 31, 1942, directed to a device for readilydetermining the average monthly mark of a student when a certain base number is used in making the calculation.

Having described my invention, what I claim is:

1. An averaging device comprising, a board having a series of stationary consecutive numbers separated one from another by uniform distances, and arranged in vertical order thereon, one of the numbers being a base number, a vertically slidable strip mounted on the board having a vertical column of consecutive numbers of substantially the same range as the stationary numbers, the said column having each of the numbers repeated twice and the said numbers in said column each being separated from its adjacent number by an interventing space substantially equivalent to the distance separating the stationary numbers one from another, a second vertical column of consecutive numbers arranged on the strip and having substantially the same range as the stationary numbers, the numbers of the said second column of numbers being separated one from another by a space substantially twice that of the space separating the` stationary vertically arranged numbers, an implement receiving opening located in the board adjacent the stationary base number for engaging a manipulating implement passed through an opening in the slidable strip when, in moving the strip, the implement reaches the said means.

2. An averaging device comprising a board having a series of stationary consecutive numbers separated one from another by uniform distances and arranged in vertical order thereon, one of the said numbers being a base number, a vertically slidable strip mounted on the board having a vertical column of consecutive numbers of substantially the same range as the stationary numbers, the said numbers in the said column being repeated a certain number of times and the said numbers in said column each being separated from its adjacent number by an intervening space substantially equivalent to the distance separating the stationary numbers one from another, a second vertical column of consecutive numbers arranged on the strip having substantially the same range as the stationary numbers, the numbers of the said second column each being separated one from another by a predetermined greater distance than the space separating the stationary vertically arranged numbers one from another, implement receiving means located on the board adjacent each of the numbers ci the second column, and means on the board adjacent the stationary base number for engaging a manipulating implement applied to an implement receiving means on the slidable strip When, in moving the strip, the implement reaches said means.

JOHN J. PRESTON. 

